spring/fall break

It's that time of year. School holidays are upon us! In the northern hemisphere it's spring break, but I guess down here you could call it fall break. Two weeks off school and plenty of time for adventure. The past years I've been lucky to go on lots of little trips, whether day-long or week-long. And this year it's a few days in Australia's national capital, Canberra. Very excited! Couldn't help but look back at some of these trips, so here's a recap that will hopefully stoke your sense of adventure. Definitely know I'm ready to explore somewhere new!

2008

My dad, sister and I went to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossoms (and all other kinds of pink blooms) and explore some historical locales. It was beautiful, wonderful and COLD

2009

My sister and I met up with family in North Carolina for a long weekend birthday celebration. One more state and lots of good times checked off the list! After that I went on a second break to New York to catch up with family and (my official reason for flying cross-country again so soon) to do some art history homework/research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

2010

Allison and I took a day off to explore the Scripps Birch Aquarium, her first ever visit there!

2011

Another day trip with Allison (and Marco). This time a first for me: the Carlsbad Flower Fields. Spectacular! We took our "official" engagement picture, and had fun breaking all the rules and posing like mad with the gorgeous blooms

2012

My dad and I went off to Key West while my sister was chaperoning a school trip in China, and it was simply the best. Including touring Ernest Hemingway's house, trying out some Cuban cigars, making friends with butterflies, staying in a beautiful turret suite, and sampling as many pieces of Key lime pie as we could manage

2013

Another quick trip with my dad last year, to Riverside and Palm Springs. He golfed with company bigwigs, and I explored on my own. Stood in the middle of a white-out at the summit of Mount Jacinto, and drove around admiring the vistas. Can't wait to go back someday. 

zanahorias en escabeche

Or, pickled carrots. Mexican style. We had a ton of carrots in the fridge, plenty of chilies, and the kids love burritos and tacos like you wouldn't believe. Constantly watching them eat a somewhat compromised version of Mexican food makes me want the real little things like this all that much more to go along. So now we'll have spicy pickled carrots in addition to Cholula (muchos gracias padre!) to put on top of our burritos and such. Thinking a real Mexican feast might be coming up (maybe for Benito Juárez's birthday?), I'm craving an excuse to make a huge pot of frijoles refritos!
And the recipe I use for these follows because, well, you need it in your life to be frankly honest!

Gather your ingredients. A bunch of carrots, some chili peppers, vinegar and sugar.

Peel, then slice the carrots into thin coins. Slice the chilies, too.

If you have OCD tendencies like yours truly, pile them together and determine whether or not you like the ratio of carrot to chili. I added one more chili at this point.

Put a pot on the stove. Admire the view. 

Put some white vinegar and sugar in your pot. You want slightly less liquid than you have vegetables. I had about 4.5 cups of carrots, so used approximately 3 cups of vinegar and a half cup of sugar. 

Bring the vinegar and sugar to a gentle simmer, making sure the sugar fully dissolves. Turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the hot burner. Toss in your vegetables and give them a good stir. 

When the mixture is cool, decant into an airtight container. Make sure the vegetables are fully submerged/covered by the brine. This ensures that they remain fresh for a long time. 

Pick up on your cat's subtle hint that he needs some food. Go feed him, you're done anyway! All that's left to do is put your jar of freshly pickled carrots in the fridge and try to wait a decent amount of time before helping yourself to them.

As a side note, I took a trip down dance floor lane while making these, listening to what Allison and I call "prom music". Basically soul and funk classics and 80s guilty pleasures.  Give it a listen!


                                                


Update: Just went to the kitchen to try one (that was the intention at least), and they were good. Really good. Addictive. So, guess I'm just telling you that I fully endorse my own recipe, which should be inherent, but oh well! 

december traditions

Another memory rewind. Love all these pictures, the people, and the rituals this time of year brings. Unfortunately woke up feeling pretty dang horrible this morning (Merry Christmas!), and am spending the day at home instead of in and around Melbourne with the family. Just got up from a near six hour nap here, and just been lazing about on the grass in the gardens looking at these pictures and fondly recalling years past. Absolutely miss the cold and snow of a Camp Conor Christmas, but so grateful to be here this year on a great adventure. Lying in the sun, surrounded by tall trees, beautiful flowers, and singing birds? Really love the holiday season down under. And now I'll look through these pictures one more time before gathering the determination to walk back home. Enjoy this peek at a typical Ward family Christmas!

Get up on the roof and put up those Christmas lights!

Prepare yourselves to attend The Nutcracker or a holiday performance by the symphony. Let your best friend wear your coat if she's really that cold. Pose to your dad's content

                        

Stop at some point to dress the dogs up in their holiday finery

Catch an early morning flight to New York...

...and arrive to this. Heaven.

Immediately cozy up and settle in

Make sure everyone wears at least one piece of fur per outing

Test the ice at the boathouse. If its solid, head out on the lake! 

Spend hours every day enjoying the great room. Read, try your hand at a puzzle, just hang out and relax

Venture into town. Do some last minute shopping, iceskating, maybe go bowling

Get outside and just enjoy the scenery 

Get a little overexcited by the winter weather and attempt maple candy. Determine to re-read Little House on the Prairie to get the proper technique for next time

Be amazed at how full of static your hair gets 

                 

Christmas Eve. Decorate the tree. See that the Sprite bottle topper gets respect

                          

                          

Christmas morning! So many presents! Take a bet as to how many there are (winner buys everyone a round of drinks), take all morning to open them, take cheesy pictures with the kids

Take a break from presents at one point and send that adorable kid down the driveway in his own tiny sled

Cook and then enjoy a delicious dinner. Toast the holiday, the house, the family, feel the love

And don't forget to strike your favorite pose with/for your best friend!